CHEM 1B LAB
Dr. Nick Blake
nblake@vcccd.edu
 805.455.8355
Office: SCI 322
Summer 2015
Lab Hours CHEM 1B: SCI 211
Monday - Thursday 1:00-4:50pm
T
Required Textbooks:
Chemistry 1B laboratory manual
(online at www.chemistrylabmanual.com)
Carbonless Copy Lab Notebook (available at the VC bookstore)
Prerequisites: CHEM V01A & CHEM V01AL (General Chemistry I with C or better), CHEMV01B
or concurrent enrollment
Who Should Take this Course? This course is designed to supplement CHEM 1B by
providing hands-on application of concepts learned in lecture. It is meant to teach students
common chemistry laboratory techniques and data analysis skills. You should anticipate
attending every class meeting and spending 6-8 hours/week outside of class to keep up with
assignments and concepts.
By the end of this course, you should be able to...
 Understand laboratory procedures, safety, scientific method and lab notebook
recording.
 Evaluate a chemical reaction system to determine how chemical equilibria will be
altered by changes in temperature, concentration, or pressure by applying Le Chatelier’s
Principle.
 Experiment with rate dependence on temperature and calculate activation energy from
experimental data analysis.
 Test common hydrocarbons and organic compounds to identify what functional groups
are present.
Safety Guidelines
Closed-toed shoes & goggles to be worn every meeting, For your own safety, you must come to
class on time, prepared with pre-reading done in the appropriate attire and pay attention to all
instructions, verbal and written, when in the laboratory. Any accidents, no matter how small,
must be reported to me immediately.
I. Grade Assignment
Lab Write-ups
Lab Quizzes
Lab Final
Total
60%
20%
20%
100%
Lab write-ups (60%)
1. Recording observational notes and answering questions on the report sheet for the experiment given in
the textbook. These are due in the class following the completion of that experiment.
2. Answering the questions in the pre-laboratory assignment also given in the textbook. These are due at
the beginning of the class on the day your class starts that experiment.
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Your Name
Report Title
Name(s) of People in your Group
Purpose (10%): 1-2 paragraphs setting out the purpose enough so people get the sense of what
you are investigating and what the objectives are.
Procedure (5%): Normally something like “All the materials and procedure are found in
Experiment 1 of the Ventura College Chemistry 1B Lab Manual, 2013, pgs. 16-22.”

The original data sheets from the lab notebook(35%): The data sheets not only need to be
legible to you but to me, clearly label section numbers for the experiment, as referred to in the
lab manual, correct number of significant figures and correct units

Graphs with a title, labels axes with the units for the variable plotted
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Sample Calculations (25%):
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Discussion/Conclusion (15%)
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Neatness (10%): Can I read it? More importantly can Nick read it? Does my handwriting suck
because I normally type and text only? If so and it is impossible to write legibly type the report

Report is written in the 3rd person (No I, we, us, they, you, me, my, Christian names etc) (-3% if
you don’t)
Lab quizzes (20%): These are given first thing, in the class following the completion of the lab,
and are based on the material within the textbook. Their purpose is to encourage independent
comprehension of the material as we go. (Keep a record of your answers in the pre-lab for the test).
Lab final (20%)
On the last day of class there will be a final based on the work during the lab portion of the chem. 1a
course. It is an opportunity to reflect over the course and bring it once more into your awareness
before moving on to other things. It is longer version of the lab quzzes given during the semester. It
is mandatory and normalized to 20% of your overall grade.
When to hand in work
1. Prelab: is due on the day that the experiment commences, it should be handed in to me at the
beginning of class. Prelabs make up 10% of your grade
2. Report and Postlab Assignments: on the experiment itself should be handed in at the beginning of
class on the day that you start the new experiment. The dates of when experiments start and finish is
given on the attached sheet. (Postlab is 20% of the grade and the lab report 30% of the grade)
3. Quiz: is given at the beginning of the lab class on the day the new experiment is to be started (20%)
Late Work
A discretionary 25% penalty may be imposed on late write ups for repeat offenders. A write-up that is 2weeks overdue may no longer accepted. An experiment missing receives 0% and goes toward your
overall grade.
If you miss a lab, try and make it up later that week, or early the following week by attending another lab
section. In this way, you will be able to keep up in the course. If this is not possible see me as soon as you
can to make other arrangements.
Missed lab quizzes cannot be made up.
One lab write up, and prelab will not be included in calculating your overall grade.
Absences
If you are absent for 3 labs the best you can do is obtain an incomplete. Therefore, if you do miss a lab
you will want to make that lab up during the semester.
Drop Deadlines
It is your responsibility to remember drop deadlines. You will be dropped at census time if you have
missed 2 consecutive weeks of class.
Things to Bring Next Time
1.
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5.
Chem 1B manuals
Safety Eyewear (Googles)
Scientific Calculator
Lab Notebook
Matches/Lighter